Axle housing and method of making same



July- 25, 1939- w. E. SCHIRMER 2,167,088

AXLE HOUSING AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed March 5, 1957 Fig.1

Inventor Maize/'5 Jcfzz'rmer Qzfgga Patented July 25, 1939 UNITED [ST TES PATENT. oFFice -Walter E. Schirmer, Chicago, in, assignor to Clark Equipment Company, Buchanan, Micln, a V corporation of Michigan Application March 5, 1937, SCI-1811K! 12am Claims. (Cl. co -153.1)

This invention relates to axle housings and the method of forming the same, and is more particularly directed to the formation of a rear axle *housing for vehicles such as automobiles; trucks, 5 buses, tractors and the like. I 7

It has .been proposed heretofore to form axle housings from a tubular blank; which .is centrally slotted and expanded to form a differential housing, and then swaged down along the extendingarm portions and upset at the ends to form wheel bearing .seats and the like. It has also been contemplated to form such housings by ex-. panding one'end of a tubular blank into a half section of a differential casing and upset the mounting I blanks to form the completedhousing.

The present invention contemplates forming an axle housing irom three pieces of flat sheet stock, in the case of truck and passenger car housings, and from flat blanks and a forging in the case of bus housings or other housings where the differential is offset with respect to the longitudinal center of the housing.

35 It is a primary object of thepresent invention to form the differential h'ousing, 'preferably of the banjo type, from fiat sheet stock by a series of drawing or stamping operations, the formed blank being then rolled into a hoop, flanged and having oppositely extending tapered throat portions to which are secured the arms forming the 7 completed housing.

In the preferred method of forming the banj casing, the blank is operated upon in such manner as to form one throat portion at the center thereof, and complementary throat portions at the ends which, when folded around, are joined to complete the other throat portion.

Another feature provided by the present invention resides in the construction of a banjo type casing which can be employed as standard in a. number of housing designs, whether they be for automobile, truck, tractor or bus construction.

Still another advantage'of the present invention is the elimination of the expensive and (hillcult expanding operations heretofore required in forming fabricated axle housings of the banjo type, and the provision of a simplified and inexpensive housing construction capable of meeting the requirements of this type of structure.

Other objects and advantages'of the present invention will appear more fully in the following detailed description which, taken in conjunction 55 with the accompanying drawing, will disclose to welded to produce a central banjo frame housing 1 other end of the blank toform a wheel and brake portion, and to then join two such thosev skilled in the art the particular construetionof the housing and the method employed in a preferred embodiment of the present invention; In thedrawing: Figure 1 is a view showing 'anjinitial drawing 5 operation on' a blank such as used for forming the banjo casing; t -Flgure 2 illustrates a succeeding drawing operaion; r l

Figure 3 illustrates the flnal drawing operation 10 upon the blank shown in Figure 1; and 1 Figure 4 illustrates a complete housing includ: ing the banjo frame formed from the blank shown inFigure3. 7 a The rectangular blank 38, which may be of flat 15 boiler plate stock or the like, is first subjected to a" drawing operation-which produces'the depression 40 at the central portion thereof, and produces'complementary end depressions 42 at opposite ends' of the blank 38; The succeeding 2o drawing operation increases the depth of 'the depression. 40 to an extent such as indicated at 43 in Figure 2, and correspondingly increases the depth of the complementary end portions 42 as indicated at 44. This in turn decreases the longi-h g5 tudinal extent of the blank 38 due to the, fact that metal is being moved inwardly to accommoe date the displacement of the metal downwardly in the depressed portions 43 and 44.

'The finaldrawing operation is illustrated Figures in which the central portion of the: blank has been so worked as to provide a throat portion 45 terminating in a cylindrical end pol? tion 46; At the same "time, the end portions of theblank 38 have been deformedto form complementary throat portions 41 terminating in semi-'1 cylindrical end portions 48, and in complementary edge portions 49 defining the'semi-cylinclri cal portions 48.]

The blank is then subjected to a rolling operation which moves the complementary throat portions 41 toward each other until the edges 49 are. in abutment whereby the semi-cylindrical end portions 48 cooperate to produce a cylindrical opening corresponding to the opening 46 of the throat portion 45. The abutting edges 49 are welded on opposite sides ofthe housing to'secure the same together and to formthe complete banjo frame. At the same time, the intermediate portions 50 of the blank shown in Figure 3 are subjected during the rolling operation to deformation so that parallel radial flanges 52 are formed on opposite sides of the banjo frame, and define therebetween a cylindrical web portion 53 in all is 1 W N "on use fenniaii #s-gw Eli amm I i of the drawing operations-and assembly shown and described, but only insofar as defined bythescopeandspiritoftheappended claims.

I claim: r 1

1. The methodflof forming an axle which comprises providing a tubular blank, subtions to form a central irusto-conicai throat por-' i tion and complementary half-throat portions at V theendsofthebiank,rollingtheformedhlank m I into a hoop to bring said complementary portions illether to form a second throat portion extend- "oppodteiytosaidiirst throat portion, and axle arms to thethroat portions thiis.

2. Asan of. manufacture, a unitary cen-jr formed irom a flat blank, and comprising oppote extending throat portions; one of said t portions being formed by complementary g of the blank welded together along ting edges thereof and the other throat rti o the M th ank.

an articleoi a rear e having a flat'bianh formed into a 11 1- tary central banjo frame portion provided ,with oppositely extending tapered throat portions, one

of said throat portions comprising complementarysiormed endsoi the welded together, ,a. tubular arm secured totheoth'erpf said throat,

portions and having bearing seat porelementJecuredahout the defining edge of H one and; having.thickened ,seat portions, said forged element tinned substantially in theplane of the mile between the throat portion and the element.

method of forming b nlo portion axle housing from a rectangular flat whieh comprises drawing said to form a centrally depressed throat formforming end portiozn fm'ther drawing the blank impart a generally lionsitudinsl channel shape 1 theretowith said depressed. portions increased in the meeting edges thereof.

WALTER I,

'banio frame portion for an axle housing,

being formed as a tapered woiection'ex at its outer extremity, and a forged -tub| i-. t

dcd 'with a radially extending brake flange 1 'ing and depressed complementary throat j 

